Ethertronics Unveils Actively Tuned DVB-H and FM Antennas

Ethertronics Inc., a provider of standard and customized embedded antenna solutions for wideband and multi-band wireless devices, unveiled two new internal DVB-H and FM antennas designed to power an array of advanced industrial designs, mobile handsets and video products. As part of Ethertronics’ new Tavvel™ line of actively tuned embedded antennas, which provide significant link budget improvements while maintaining a simple interface, compact size and low current consumption, both the DVB-H and FM antenna solutions are engineered to address the challenges associated with incorporating multiple RF functions into portable devices.

Ethertronics’ Tavvel embedded tunable DVB-H antenna delivers on the key needs of today’s portable media product designers by delivering high performance and low power consumption for small form factors including mobile phones, notebook computers, portable media players and other video products. Designed to operate on the entire DVB-H range of frequencies, from 474 to 870 MHz, Ethertronics’ tunable DVB-H antenna has been optimized to deliver average efficiency of 40 percent with current consumption of less than 100 μuAmps with a compact footprint of 50 x 13 x 1 mm. In addition, the antenna element can be implemented in a variety of device form factors and requires a simple DC control voltage between 0 to 2.8 V to tune the antenna to a specific frequency (channel) within the DVB-H band.

The new Tavvel embedded active FM antenna solution is ideal for integration into handheld devices, cellular phones, PDAs, laptops and other devices. Measuring approximately one cm3, the tunable antenna operates at the frequency range of 87.5 to 108 MHz ensuring maximum performance at every FM channel in the band. Performance is within 1 to 1.5 dB as compared to traditional headset lead-wire antennas. The FM antenna solution’s current consumption is only 2.8 mA, and tunes to specific frequencies (channels) by varying an input DC control voltage between 0 to 2.7 V.

“With more than 50 percent of all handsets expected to incorporate FM tuners along with Bluetooth headsets, and with a rapidly emerging mobile TV marketplace, we are providing mobile and media device manufacturers with solutions to incorporate high-performance antennas in their designs,” said Jeff Shamblin, vice president of Advanced Technology for Ethertronics. “A device’s ability to maintain high levels of reception coupled with an aesthetically pleasing form factor are key drivers for the commercial success of these products and their respective services.”